Subtitled “A Letter to a Son About His Father” Kurt Kuenne's extraordinarily poignant documentary Dear Zachary tells a story full of surprising twists, starting out with the murder of young Pennsylvania doctor Andrew Bagby by his mentally unstable ex-girlfriend Shirley Turner, who then fled to her native Canada. The difficulty in bringing her to justice—the Canadian judicial system not only repeatedly postponed her extradition, but even freed her on bail—only became more complicated when Turner gave birth to Bagby's child Zachary, who was placed in her custody. In order to have a relationship with their grandson, Bagby's parents were forced to come to an arrangement with their son's troubled killer, even as the effort to prosecute Turner continued through complex legal maneuvering and repeated delays. A friend of Bagby, Kuenne's personal relationship allowed him to secure revealing interviews with Zachary's grandparents, as well as many of Bagby's friends and colleagues (along with tapes of Turner's unsettling phone messages). Although it tells a sensational true-crime story, Dear Zachary is ultimately a compelling and profoundly sad film about grief. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include additional footage of film subjects Andrew and Zachary Bagby (24 min.), 10 minutes of deleted scenes, various support and resources links for activists, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a powerful documentary.] (F. Swietek)
Dear Zachary
Oscilloscope, 95 min., not rated, DVD: $29.99, Feb. 24 Volume 24, Issue 2
Dear Zachary
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